The Webley–Fosbery Self-Cocking Automatic Revolver is a recoil-operated
automatic revolver designed by
Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery
Lieutenant Colonel George Vincent Fosbery VC (11 April 1832 – 8 May 1907) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonw ...
VC and produced by the
Webley & Scott company from 1901 to 1924. The revolver is easily recognisable by the zig-zag grooves on the cylinder.
History
Semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single- chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to ac ...
s were just beginning to appear when Colonel Fosbery (1832–1907) devised a revolver that cocked the hammer and rotated the cylinder by sliding the action, cylinder and barrel assembly back on the frame. The prototype was a modified
Colt Single Action Army
The Colt Single Action Army (also known as the SAA, Model P, Peacemaker, or M1873) is a Trigger (firearms)#Single-action, single-action revolver handgun. It was designed in 1872 for the U.S. government service revolver trials of 1872 by Colt's P ...
revolver. Fosbery patented his invention 16 August 1895 and further improvements were patented in June and October 1896.
Fosbery took his design to P. Webley & Son of Birmingham. P. Webley & Son, which merged with W.C. Scott & Sons and Richard Ellis & Son in 1897 to form the Webley & Scott Revolver and Arms Co., was the primary manufacturer of service pistols for the
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...
as well as producing firearms for civilian use. Webley further developed the design and the Webley–Fosbery Automatic Revolver was introduced at the matches at
Bisley of July 1900.
In civilian use, the Webley–Fosbery was popular with
target-shooters. Because the trigger mechanism did not rotate the cylinder, shots were smooth and consistent, permitting rapid and accurate shooting.
Walter Winans, a famous contemporary target shooter, preferred the Webley–Fosbery, and in 1902 he used it to place six shots in a bull's-eye at 12 paces in seven seconds. Using a Prideaux
speedloader he was able to fire twelve shots into a bull's-eye in approximately 15 seconds.
Wartime usage
Though Webley viewed this weapon as an ideal sidearm for cavalry troops, the Webley–Fosbery was never adopted as an official government sidearm. At over long and weighing some 44 ounces (1239 grammes) unloaded, the Webley–Fosbery was a heavy and unwieldy sidearm even by the standards of the day. Several models of Webley–Fosbery revolvers were produced, and the type saw limited action in the
Boer Wars
The military history of South Africa chronicles a vast time period and complex events from the dawn of history until the present time. It covers civil wars and wars of aggression and of self-defence both within South Africa and against it. It in ...
as well as
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, where some privately purchased examples were carried by British officers in the .455 service chambering.
World Guns, Modern Firearms: Handguns - Webley-Fosbery automatic revolver
', Retrieved 31-03-2011 Reports from the field suggested that the Webley–Fosbery, with its precisely machined recoil surfaces, was more susceptible to jamming in wartime conditions of mud and rain than comparable sidearms of the period. It has been commonly alleged that the Webley–Fosbery required a tight hold in order for the cylinder to properly cycle and cock the weapon.
Production ceased in 1924, with a total production of less than 5,000. Many revolvers remained unsold, and the model was carried in Webley's catalogues as late as 1939.
References
Bibliography
* Dowell, William Chipcase, ''The Webley Story'', (Commonwealth Heritage Foundation, Kirkland, Washington: 1987)
External links
Video of a Webley–Fosbery, showing self-cocking actionWebley Fosbery Automatic Revolver Model 1900
{{DEFAULTSORT:Webley-Fosbery Automatic Revolver
.38 ACP firearms
Automatic revolvers
Early revolvers
Military revolvers
Revolvers of the United Kingdom
Short recoil firearms
Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1901